Law firm snags veteran of tech antitrust battles

{mosads}“Lowenstein established its national platform by building on its core practices with great lateral hires like Jeff,” said Gary M. Wingens, the firm’s chairman and managing partner, in a statement. “We’ve grown our robust Palo Alto and New York offices with this strategy and we look forward to its continued success as we consider expanding our footprint in new markets.”

At Crowell & Moring, Blumenfeld served on the team that successfully convinced the Department of Justice that SBC Communications should be able to proceed with a $16 billion merger with AT&T. A year prior, the firm secured the $41 billion acquisition of AT&T by SBC/Cingular Wireless.

He also held several positions in the antitrust division of the Justice Department (DOJ) and served as an assistant U.S. attorney at the department, working as the chief attorney on the 1984 case that broke up AT&T into smaller, regional entities.

After leaving the public sector, Blumenfeld formed his own DC-based firm, Blumenfeld & Cohen, where he advised tech companies on competition issues and policy advocacy.

His clients included NetAction and Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, which fought back against the terms of the federal government’s 2001 settlement with Microsoft over its alleged monopoly in the technology market, saying they were “suspect in terms of both the public interest and the goals of antitrust relief described by the government,” the firm wrote to the DOJ.

“His talent as a litigator and trusted counselor combined with his clear technology bona fides are a real strategic fit, adding greater breadth to our leading tech group and greater strength to our antitrust practice,” said Wingens.